This advanced piece of malware is capable of sending texts to
phone numbers that charge money for each message, downloading and
installing other malware, and even sending malware to other
nearby devices through Bluetooth.

Known to security experts as "Backdoor.AndroidOS.Obad.a," this
trojan is so incredibly powerful because it tricks users into
giving it administrator privileges. It then uses a
previously-undiscovered Android security exploit to hide itself
from the list of running applications, making it difficult to
track down.

According to a post by Roman Unuchek on Securelist, the
trojan has been distributed via text message spam. To protect
yourself, avoid installing applications from links sent to your
phone. Only use Google's official Google Play app store.